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The Championship


ChrisJbarnes

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nope this isnt another thread about how we need to sack big sam or get relegated, just thinking- which teams do you think will get promoted from the championship this season, who would you like to see?

 

1st: watford 2nd: bristol city playoffs: charlton

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Got a sneaky feeling Palace might just go up through the play-off's - they seem to have picked right up recently.

 

Automatic promotion for Watford (they'll come good again) and WBA imo. :)

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West Brom will MOST definitely occupy one of the automatic spots and if we can find any sort of home form we really should win this league, I see it as being tight between us and West Brom with the play-offs being nothing but a huge gamble. Can see anyone from Stoke, Charlton, Bristol City, Ipswich, Cardiff, Burnley, Crystal Palace, Plymouth or even Southampton or Sheffield United making a late charge.

 

The problem with this league is that it is extremely competitive, 5 wins in a row can see a team in the lower mid-table side rise from there to a commanding play-off position, ala Crystal Palace since Warnock has taken over. West Brom and Bristol City are two excellent football sides however I believe that City don't have the strength in depth that West Brom do, not enough to sustain a title/automatic spot challenge at least. Even then, Charlton could easily bridge the gap between themselves and us and West Brom, there's more than enough time left for them to possibly rise and end up winning the league!

 

West Brom have an excellent squad and can on their day beat anyone in this league convincingly, they play the right sort of football and I cannot see them finishing outside of the top two. Our chances on the other hand are somewhat odd. If we had won even 3/4 of our last 7 home games we would be 10 points clear. Even though our football is awful and our tactics are baffling we do seem to be able to squeeze out results when it matters. Even though we've been awful at home of late we remain level at the top of the league. We could, like West Brom or Charlton, easily win this league.

 

However, if I had to put down a concrete list, it'd go like this.

 

1st - Watford (if we perform we are more than capable of doing this)

2nd - West Brom

 

Play-offs - It is a lottery, but I can see Crystal Palace winning it, although I reckon Charlton, Stoke and Bristol City will make up the other teams in the play-offs, although there are likely to be many many twists and turns in this league and I can see Southampton and Sheffield United, although lurking in lower mid-table obscurity at the moment, rising up the league because their squads are too good not to. Although, it is going to be an exciting second half to the season, hopefully we win the damn thing then (!) stay up next season!

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Something I've just read, which is interesting but irrelevant, however I'll stick it in this thread anyway.

 

If Watford and Ipswich swapped home and away records the new team would either.

 

Have their home record and our away record and 58 points from 24 games and be runaway leaders.

 

OR

 

Have our home record and their away record and 22 points from 26 games and be rock bottom.

 

Strange, eh?

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Ipswich are excellant at home but have a problem away from home. They have just been bought out with quite a wedge of cash for players for a championship side. If they spend right in january I expect them to go up this year or next. They have 3-4 under 21 FA cup winners from a year or so ago coming through and looking good.

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West Brom will MOST definitely occupy one of the automatic spots and if we can find any sort of home form we really should win this league, I see it as being tight between us and West Brom with the play-offs being nothing but a huge gamble. Can see anyone from Stoke, Charlton, Bristol City, Ipswich, Cardiff, Burnley, Crystal Palace, Plymouth or even Southampton or Sheffield United making a late charge.

 

The problem with this league is that it is extremely competitive, 5 wins in a row can see a team in the lower mid-table side rise from there to a commanding play-off position, ala Crystal Palace since Warnock has taken over. West Brom and Bristol City are two excellent football sides however I believe that City don't have the strength in depth that West Brom do, not enough to sustain a title/automatic spot challenge at least. Even then, Charlton could easily bridge the gap between themselves and us and West Brom, there's more than enough time left for them to possibly rise and end up winning the league!

 

West Brom have an excellent squad and can on their day beat anyone in this league convincingly, they play the right sort of football and I cannot see them finishing outside of the top two. Our chances on the other hand are somewhat odd. If we had won even 3/4 of our last 7 home games we would be 10 points clear. Even though our football is awful and our tactics are baffling we do seem to be able to squeeze out results when it matters. Even though we've been awful at home of late we remain level at the top of the league. We could, like West Brom or Charlton, easily win this league.

 

However, if I had to put down a concrete list, it'd go like this.

 

1st - Watford (if we perform we are more than capable of doing this)

2nd - West Brom

 

Play-offs - It is a lottery, but I can see Crystal Palace winning it, although I reckon Charlton, Stoke and Bristol City will make up the other teams in the play-offs, although there are likely to be many many twists and turns in this league and I can see Southampton and Sheffield United, although lurking in lower mid-table obscurity at the moment, rising up the league because their squads are too good not to. Although, it is going to be an exciting second half to the season, hopefully we win the damn thing then (!) stay up next season!

[/quote

 

A good post - haven't seen Watford yet this season, but I've seen WBA a few times, and as you say, they play great football - in fact, I suggested that my REALISTIC choice to replace Allardyce would be Tony Mowbray, their manager, but he's only been there just over a year and even if anyone else wanted him I doubt he would leave until the season is over/club promoted. My views about Mowbray are not just because of his Albion success, but also his great job done at Hibs before that.

WBA & Charlton played a week or two ago and it was one of the most entertaining games I've seen this season, and with a fair degree of skills on show - either side would have a good chance of beating NUFC if we played them right now and, because of the way Mowbray's teams play, I hope West Brom DO get promoted this year..will give my views about Watford when I see them, but they are doing well.

 

 

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Watford will get there by "roughing" other teams up. Don't play much football, but generally get the job done. West Brom are the best team I've seen play this season.

 

The thing with the Championship is anyone can beat anyone (Colchester beating Charlton being a good example). It's why teams like Hull have somehow got into the top half, while teams like Sheff Weds and Leicester languish near the bottom.

 

Can't say I've really been impressed by anyone though. The football played in League 1 last season was a better quality.

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It's a bit worrying how big the gap is becoming between the championship and the premiership. I really don't see that much quality there.

 

Bristol City in the Premiership would be interesting though.

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